A Mothers Duty
by TheContamination
Summary: Set in NM when Alice goes to Forks. And it's a comfort fic from Esme's point of view. Beta'd by EigthNote. Read and review. :D


'Alice? Alice, what did you see? Darlin' please! What did you see?' Jasper was beside himself with worry, I did not need to be an empath to know that. He's my son, it is a mother's duty to know when something is catastrophically wrong. Alice's breathing increased rapidly; she choked out 'Be- Bella.' Something was very wrong. Mournful cries could be heard from the living room and I rushed to see what was plaguing Alice. Her petite frame was being wracked with huge, heaving sobs and poor Jasper had her in his lap, his head on hers, muttering sweet nothings to try and get her to tell him what was breaking her heart.

Then I remembered she had said Bella. 'Alice, what's happened to Bella? Honey, what's happened to Bella?' I choked out, worried not only for Alice and Jasper, but Bella and Edward also. 'Sh- She jumped. Esme, Bella jumped off a cliff. I can't see her! Jazz! I can't see her!'

My own, heart-wrenching sobs joined Alice's. Carlisle was still hunting, and he would be for a few more hours and now I wished I had accepted his offer of joining him. Now I had to endure this without him. Jasper whispered to me softly, 'Esme, come over here. You don't have to face that pain alone. Come on, easy does it now, easy does it.' I slowly made my way over to the couch where Jasper and Alice sat. I carefully lowered myself onto it and Jasper put his free arm around my shoulders, sending my way a wave of his love for me, not to mask my pain, but to soften it. He was comforting not just Alice, but me as well.

Emmett and Rosalie were out hunting and not present for the news, but when they did arrive, Rosalie came barging in demanding 'What happened?' while Emmett came over to the couch and put his hand on my knee in an attempt to calm me. 'Esme, What's happened? Why are you and Alice crying?' My sweet Emmett was trying to comfort me. I tried to speak but the only sound that came from my lips was a strangled sob.

'Bella. Em, It's Bella. She jumped and now Alice can't see her. Emmett, Bella's dead,' Jasper explained and hearing it said out loud just made sweet Alice and I cry harder. This was going to kill Edward. He loves her, no loved her, so deeply. Rosalie didn't seem fazed. She's my daughter and I love her but she is ruthless sometimes. So self-centered and selfish unless Emmett is involved.

Suddenly, Alice stopped crying and stood up, declaring, 'I'm going to go back to Forks. Poor Charlie can't face this by himself. I'm going to go and help.' I nodded, knowing this was the truth.

'What should we do if Edward calls? Should we call him and tell him to come home? Alice, what should we do?' I asked softly.

'If Edward calls tell him to come home, that's the best chance we've g-'

'I think we should tell Edward. Maybe then he'd come to his senses and come home and stop being such a drama queen,' Rosalie butted in.

'No. If Edward knew it would kill him. Rosalie what would you do if Emmett died? Tell me. What would you do?' Alice demanded, fury etched into her pale face. Rosalie seemed to be lost for words so she stalked out of the room, pulling Emmett in tow.

'Alice, darlin', calm down. Your emotions are everywhere,' Jasper spoke quietly, rubbing gentle circles on his wife's back.

'Alice, wait until Carlisle gets home. But in the mean time pack some clothes and say your goodbyes to Jasper. You won't be gone long, I know. But I also know how you two get when you're separated, even if it's only for a short period of time. Off you go, the both of you. Carlisle will be home in a few hours.'

The time passed terribly slowly. I worked to keep myself busy. I tried reading, I tried listening to calming music, I tried to garden a little, but although I'm no seer like sweet Alice, I knew something was wrong. Very wrong. So in the end I sat in the living room with the television on quietly in the background until car tires turned onto our gravel driveway and I knew that my Carlisle was home. I needed him now, I needed his calm, loving embrace. I was hurting and I tried to hide it from Jasper but I couldn't. The pain was simply too much for me to bear. The front door swung open and Carlisle walked in knowing that something was very, drastically wrong. 'What's happened? Esme, my love, what has happened?'

Alice explained again, and this time there were only a few hitches in her voice. Jasper's arm had crept its way around her waist to comfort her, seemingly without any conscious thought. 'Alice, take my car. I've only just filled it so you won't have to stop. ' All the love Carlisle felt for dear Alice was woven into his next sentence, along with his worry and sadness. 'Alice, stay safe.'

She came over and embraced us both. 'I will Dad, and Mom, I love you both. I will be back soon. I'll call when I have the chance.' She walked back over to Jasper and said quietly to him, 'Jazz, I love you with all my heart, you know that. I will be back. I promise. I'll call you when I get the chance. I'll miss you Jasper.' Jasper leaned down and they shared a quick kiss - with them it didn't have to be long and passionate, they knew without one another they simply weren't whole. They were in complete contrast to Rosalie and Emmett. Alice gave one last embrace to everyone. Her parting words were 'Give Rose and Em my love.' and then sweet Alice was gone.

'Alice, stay safe. I cannot lose another child. My heart could not cope. It seems I was born to lose - first my newborn son, second my newest daughter Bella. I pray Edward, my son, will not be next. Alice, I will not lose you too,' I thought as my daughter drove down our long, winding driveway.

Two days had passed with no phone calls. My heart was breaking. Jasper was lost without Alice, and didn't quite know what to do. He sat, he read, he listened to music, he tried to play the guitar, all to no avail. He couldn't get his Alice off his mind. And neither could any of us. So we all went for a quick hunt, excluding Rosalie. None of us could really stand to be around her, except, of course, for Emmett. And someone needed to be home just in case Alice or Edward called, though it was likely that neither would. After everyone had drunk their fill, we all turned for home. As soon as we got close enough I heard Rosalie screaming for Emmett, he ran as fast he ever had to get to his wife and picked her up. 'Rosie, baby what's wrong? It's okay Rosie, it's all going to be okay,' Emmett cooed to Rosalie as she clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded.

'Rosalie, what has happened?' Carlisle calmly but firmly asked our daughter.

'I, I told Edward that Bella was dead. But I was wrong, Alice was wrong. Bella is alive. But Edward is going to the Volturi, he's going to kill himself. And it's entirely my fault!' Rosalie wailed, trembling in Emmett's arms as she continued. 'B-But Alice and Bella are going to Italy. They're going to try save him. I'm a monster!' Rosalie continued to cry. I crossed the last feet between us and hugged her, brushed her hair out of her eyes, and said, 'Rosalie, you should not have told Edward, but it is okay. Alice and Bella are going to fix this. It's okay.'

Carlisle slipped his arm around my waist and whispered so quietly that only I could hear him 'Its okay my dear, we will get all of our family back. I trust Alice and Bella; they will not let him die. I will not let him die.'

Jaspers breath increased behind me. His cell phone buzzed in his pocket it didn't even ring twice before he had picked it up and answered it, my son released a breath of relief as he said her name 'Alice. You're alive. You're okay.' Emmett and Rose left, I think so he could make her feel better about damning her brother, so Carlisle and I left Jasper to talk to Alice alone, we didn't need to say it, but we were all worried about Jasper. This was the first time he hasn't been there to protect her, and we all knew she was going to be facing grave danger. Carlisle led me away to his study where we would be alone and I would be free to release my screaming emotions of pain, despair, and most of all worry. 'Carlisle, I can't lose them, I won't lose them. They're all we have.' I sobbed into his stone chest and choked out 'I can't lose my children.'

After I had pulled myself together I went downstairs knowing that Jasper had long since finished talking to Alice. I found Jasper sitting on the couch with his head in his scarred hands, I don't think he realized that he was in reality rocking backward and forth, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. My heart broke as I saw my newest son in such pain. I sat down next to him and put my hand on his broad shoulder and let him know I was here when he needed me, if he needed me. It didn't take long until he tore his golden eyes away from his hands and looked straight at me, his pain so evident in his eyes. 'Esme, she's not coming home. I just know it.'  
'Yes she will. She loves you, she will come back.' But my emotions betrayed me, Jasper knew I was just saying it not only to comfort him but to make myself believe it. I knew he was hurting and afraid and although I wanted to take all that pain away and feel it for him, I could not. That was Jasper's gift. I hugged him for a moment but then let go and started to rub his back in a comforting motion, I thought it was working until I heard a strange strangled sound.

I was definitely confused for a moment until I figured out that he was trying to cry. 'Jasper, Jasper. It's okay honey, what's wrong?' He was taking deep breaths and trying to speak through the obvious lump in his throat 'Esme. My Alice. She won't come back. She won-'His words were cut off by horrible heart wrenching sobs; my heart was breaking in my stone chest. I just put my arms around him and let him cry. There were no words that would ease the pain, his mind was set that Alice was going to die; But I was convinced otherwise.

We may have sat there for hours or maybe it was minutes; we sat like that until his body wracking sobs had subsided. 'Thank you Esme, It was unforgivable for me to lose control like that. I can only thank you for the support you've given me and my deep gratitude that you wouldn't even dare to make me leave this coven.' 'Jasper! Take that back. We are not a coven, we are a family; and you are a part of this family! You are my son and I would not make you leave for grieving for the possible loss of your mate; of who you've been with since before you found us. Jasper, we love you. You are a part of our family. But you don't seem to understand that, we; unlike Maria; actually want you for you. Not because you're an empath, not because you're an amazing soldier not because you're with Alice who is our daughter. But because you're Jasper Whitlock Cullen, and we love you.' Jasper just hugged me and whispered in my ear 'Thank you mom.' Jasper had not once called me Mom, and I felt so proud of Jasper. He was growing as a man and growing more and more comfortable with us as a family. Jasper finally let go of my embrace and left to hunt as he hadn't since Alice left.

Jasper wasn't gone long; he said it was only enough to satiate his thirst. We all sat around for a while we waited for the call, for any news that they were all alive. Carlisle and Jasper sat on the couch, I sat on the floor at Carlisle's feet; Emmett and Rose were in their room; Rose was trying to get away from the guilt she felt so she and Emmett were occupying themselves. It seemed like weeks had passed since Alice had left, yet it had only been a few days. Time was crawling by even though we wanted nothing more but for time to fasten so we could find out if our family was going to be reunited or if it would crumble with the absence of Alice, Edward and Bella. Again, I needn't be an empath to know that Jasper was not coping being apart from Alice, he missed her terribly. I don't think that in the 60 years they've been together that they've ever been apart, well at least not of this magnitude. Over the next few hours Emmett and Rosalie joined the sitting and waiting in silence. We sat like that for a long time, who knows how long it was but all of a sudden, Jaspers little silver cell phone buzzed.

'Alice?' Jasper breathed into the phone 'You're alive! Where are you? When will you be back?' Alice chuckled on the other end of the line 'Yes Jazz, I'm alive and so are Edward and Bella. We just left Volterra and we are at the airport waiting for our flight home. I missed you Jazz, so much!' My heart swelled my family was alive and well, all of them. Jasper was grinning from ear to ear and it was great to see him so happy after he'd been so depressed, so dead after Alice left. We left Jasper to give him some privacy on the phone with Alice, and besides now I had nothing to fear. My family was safe and that was all that mattered. Carlisle came over to hug me and I snuggled into his embrace and with his arms around me, for the first time in days I knew that everything was going to work out perfectly.

Jaspers cell folded closed with a quiet clap and we all raced down to hear the news from Jasper. 'It's alright! Everyone is fine, everyone will be back here by the end of tomorrow at the latest. Maybe not Bella… she has some serious trouble from Charlie when she gets home.' We all laughed. 'And Alice will fill everyone in when she gets home but she told me one thing to tell you guys. I'm not exaggerating the excitement in which she said this either but we're all moving back to Forks!' Again everyone laughed because we all knew that Jasper was being serious about Alice's excitement for moving back to Forks, not one of us could escape the wrath that was Alice and she was not happy that we left. But again all was well as we all started to pack our stuff again, but this time we took our time and did it not only to help with the move back, but to fill the time we had until we picked everyone up from the airport.


End file.
